Theraphosa stirmi feeding help.

wolfs79

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I just got a theraphosa stirmi few days ago she is wild caught so I know I was taking a chance . She was thin when I got her she did eat one dubia roach but didn't fatten her up really . Since then she has refused food she looks like she could be dehydrated as well.

So I tried the icu wet paper towels overnight just as a precaution.

I keep room at 80 humidity at 75% have cork bark for hide water dish moist eco earth.

Anyone have any ideas am I doing something wrong does she just need to settle in so concerned though her abdomen is thin and a little shriveled . here is a pick if her.
 

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KezyGLA

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The abdomen is very small. Provide plenty water. If it is refusing food dont try for another few days. Are you 100% positive that it is female? Remember male T. strimi dont have hooks when they mature.
 
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wolfs79

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Should be female I had males before they had a dark triangle by book lungs
 

Ran

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Try bumping up the temp to 85 or just under 90 degrees, that might help stimulate her appetite.
 

wolfs79

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Try bumping up the temp to 85 or just under 90 degrees, that might help stimulate her appetite.
Is that safe to do? Will the higher temps dehydrate her more?
 

Venom1080

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Is that safe to do? Will the higher temps dehydrate her more?
dont bother with that. keep offering her food and keep the cage moist but not swamp like. wild tarantula abdomens are probably like that most of the time. they dont eat as often they do in captivity. maybe try some large hornworms for extra fat. good luck. :)
ps if youre using a hydrometer, i wouldnt bother, those are wrong most of the time and can lead to people over watering their cages.
 

14pokies

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Temps are good but that sub looks a little too dry for a stirmi.. An enclosure for a stirmi should be holding almost as much humidity as an "ICU" ( which are completely over used and often used for the wrong reason doing nothing but causing stress to the T)..

Wet the sub and if need be reduce ventilation in its enclosure.. A larger water dish will also aid in bumping up the humidity..


I would not offer live food today but instead cut a nice fat roach down the middle and leave it in with her over night.
Make sure to really split the roach open so the guts are exposed and lay it in the enclosure guts side up..
 
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Ran

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I have bred this species (and blondi) unlike most here...the species Theraphosa "need" a very warm humid environment in order to acclimate properly FYI.
 

EulersK

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I have bred this species (and blondi) unlike most here...the species Theraphosa "need" a very warm humid environment in order to acclimate properly FYI.
Suggesting that a new hobbyist bump up the temperature to 90F is simply unsafe advice. Since no one keeps their home that hot, it will be achieved in one of two ways - a heat mat or a heat lamp. Both of which are terrible ideas for several reasons. On top of that, with the already dry enclosure that the spider is kept in, that temperature will dry it out much quicker.

Just because you've bred them doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Evidenced by you calling Theraphosa a species.
 

14pokies

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Just because you've bred them doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Evidenced by you calling Theraphosa a species.
Ouch that was rough... I think someones been hanging out with Negan a little too much :p..

I totally agree though that in a dry enclosure raising the temps that high will turn that T into beef jerky..
 

EulersK

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Ouch that was rough... I think someones been hanging out with Negan a little too much :p..

I totally agree though that in a dry enclosure raising the temps that high will turn that T into beef jerky..
Can't say I have much patience for people handing out bad (and dangerous) advice as if they're an expert. Rubs me the wrong way.

Back to the OP's question, I very much believe this to be mild dehydration. @wolfs79, is she lethargic? Moving at all? If not, flip her over and put some water drops right below the fangs, onto her "mouth".
 

EulersK

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I may have missed it, but did the OP say how long they've had this spider?
 

wolfs79

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Can't say I have much patience for people handing out bad (and dangerous) advice as if they're an expert. Rubs me the wrong way.

Back to the OP's question, I very much believe this to be mild dehydration. @wolfs79, is she lethargic? Moving at all? If not, flip her over and put some water drops right below the fangs, onto her "mouth".
She was starting to scare me but I have some good news I had a captive bred adult fishing spider with a dud egg sac threw her in there came back 4 hours later and she was eating spider and egg sac!

I don't like to have to do it this way but I care more about a 100.00 Dollar Spider than I do about a fishing spider who was at the end of her life anyhow.

Hopefully this will give her some energy and hydrate her some.

I'm hoping she will at some point take dubia roaches. For now I might try adult crickets.

I have a few mice in freezer I could try to dangle it in front of her with tongs not sure it will work at least not until she is settles in more and has strength. I normally would not feed mice to her but she is thin and malnourished .

I was successful with another goliath who took prekilled mouse from string..

I appreciate all the help and advice from all of you. I really want this girl to pull through I really don't want to lose her she has a lot of life left in her and growing to do.

Any more tips I will appreciate it.

One question has anyone used peat moss for substrate with these?
 

EulersK

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She was starting to scare me but I have some good news I had a captive bred adult fishing spider with a dud egg sac threw her in there came back 4 hours later and she was eating spider and egg sac!

I don't like to have to do it this way but I care more about a 100.00 Dollar Spider than I do about a fishing spider who was at the end of her life anyhow.

Hopefully this will give her some energy and hydrate her some.

I'm hoping she will at some point take dubia roaches. For now I might try adult crickets.

I have a few mice in freezer I could try to dangle it in front of her with tongs not sure it will work at least not until she is settles in more and has strength. I normally would not feed mice to her but she is thin and malnourished .

I was successful with another goliath who took prekilled mouse from string..

I appreciate all the help and advice from all of you. I really want this girl to pull through I really don't want to lose her she has a lot of life left in her and growing to do.

Any more tips I will appreciate it.

One question has anyone used peat moss for substrate with these?
Good to hear! Although in the future, refrain from feeding tarantulas true spiders. They have pretty significant venom to a tarantula, and could result in a dead spider. Also skip the mouse - too much of a possibility to fester and leave you with a mold/mite problem. Crickets will do, no tarantula can resist those.

I use a mixture of peat (sphagnum) moss and topsoil will great results. I just hate the look of straight peat moss.
 

wolfs79

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Good to hear! Although in the future, refrain from feeding tarantulas true spiders. They have pretty significant venom to a tarantula, and could result in a dead spider. Also skip the mouse - too much of a possibility to fester and leave you with a mold/mite problem. Crickets will do, no tarantula can resist those.

I use a mixture of peat (sphagnum) moss and topsoil will great results. I just hate the look of straight peat moss.

Ok thanks for the help:)
 

Ran

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Maybe I was not clear on temps when I said UNDER 90 degrees to help stimulate her appetite. I guess raising temps will NOT raise humidity if the substrate has moisture. This is my recommendation which you shot down pretty blatantly without having successfully bred stirmi...AMAZING! No wonder people say this forum has people who have control issues without knowledge....ignorance is bliss I have been told.
 
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wolfs79

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Good to hear! Although in the future, refrain from feeding tarantulas true spiders. They have pretty significant venom to a tarantula, and could result in a dead spider. Also skip the mouse - too much of a possibility to fester and leave you with a mold/mite problem. Crickets will do, no tarantula can resist those.

I use a mixture of peat (sphagnum) moss and topsoil will great results. I just hate the look of straight peat moss.

I checked at lunch time things took a turn for the worst she was going into the death curl I took her out right away tried the eye dropper water trick she started to move must have been getting mad so she wasn't dead but in real bad shape I put her into ICU I don't know what else to do she is to weak to eat right now she is sitting on saturated paper towels in a plastic container with few air holes temp is 82 I heard the ICU method can work miracles if it's a dehydration thing hope it's not to late.
 

cold blood

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I think this spider would be a perfect candidate for a dead mouse.

If it survives the fishing spider that is.
 

Haksilence

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Maybe I was not clear on temps when I said UNDER 90 degrees to help stimulate her appetite. I guess raising temps will NOT raise humidity if the substrate has moisture. This is my recommendation which you shot down pretty blatantly without having successfully bred stirmi...AMAZING! No wonder people say this forum has people who have control issues without knowledge....ignorance is bliss I have been told.
I know people who have bred this species with bone dry substrate and sponges in the water dish on vermiculite and using heat mats. Just because you say you've bred them doesn't give any credibility
 
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